Certification Requirements

Certification Requirements

Register for Birth Boot Camp DOULA training. Please register as soon as possible, to ensure that you have enough time to complete the requirements.

Pay your required fees in order to secure a spot in the workshop you choose to attend.

Complete the pre-workshop study guide.

Complete, pass, and purchase the certificate for one of the following Bloodborne Pathogens Classes listed below. After successful completion, you will receive an e-mail letting you that you passed, and will then need to purchase the certificate. Forward the certificate, and include your name and the workshop date you will be attending, to doulacertification@birthbootcamp.com. An e-mail confirmation that you completed the course is not sufficient

OSHA ($13 certificate fee)

American Red Cross ($25 certificate fee)

Watch the 10-week Birth Boot Camp childbirth education series (workbook not included) including Breastfeeding: The Ultimate MRE video. (This requirement is waived for current Birth Boot Camp Instructors.) Complete the questions for each class, located at the end of the study guide. You will have a 5-week period once you request access to the online classes via doulacertification@birthbootcamp.com to complete the classes and paperwork. This is to be turned in with your other paperwork two weeks before your workshop.

Complete required reading* and movie list. For each book, briefly describe how the information from the book will help you as a doula. We suggest you skim over the questions on this Study Guide prior to reading, as they will help guide you and make answering the questions easier.

Baby Catcher, Vincent

Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg

Mothering the New Mother, Placksin (Chapters 1, 3, 5, and 9 only)

Cut, Stapled and Mended, Roanna Rosewood

When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women,

Simkin and Klaus

The Birth Book, Sears

Birth Ambassadors, Morton and Clift

Movies:

Born in the USA

Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret

The following texts are suggested, but not required for certification:

Fathers at Birth, Rose St. John

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin

The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin

*Reading List Tips: This list can be separated into two groups: Lighter Reading and Heavier Reading. It’s tempting to read the books off the lighter list first, but we recommend mixing them up and alternating between the two lists.

Heavier Reading - Mothering the New Mother, When Survivors Give Birth

Lighter Reading - Cut, Stapled and Mended, Lean In, and Baby Catcher

When reading from the heavier list, bear in mind that it is NOT important to memorize every detail. It is more important that you gain an understanding of the material as a whole, and learn to identify when you need to refer to it.

Purchase and familiarize yourself with the following required reference materials:

The Healthy Pregnancy Book, Sears

Optimal Care in Childbirth, Goer **

The Labor Progress Handbook: Early Interventions to Prevent and Treat Dystocia, Simkin and Ancheta***

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Wiessinger

Focus on gaining a good idea of what each book is, what’s in it, and how to use it as a reference.

Attend two of the same breastfeeding support groups consecutively, to observe the progression and observable growth of the new mothers.

Compile a list of community resources

(Steps 5-9 must be completed and submitted to doulacertification@birthbootcamp.com NO LATER than 2-weeks prior to the workshop date.)

Attend all sessions of the Birth Boot Camp DOULA Training Workshop.

Birth Boot Camp DOULA offers amazing support and mentorship programs for all of our doulas!

Yearly Recertification

The Birth Boot Camp DOULA Certification is valid for one year and recertification is required prior to expiration. Birth Boot Camp DOULA values continuing education and current certification as part of the doula profession. Just as other professionals are expected to be current with the latest research and publications and hold current annual certification or licensing, so too are Birth Boot Camp DOULAS. Knowing the latest in evidence based practice, being familiar with recent publications in our field, and seeking to continuously better ourselves as professionals and business owners is imperative to success.This enables you to gain respect in your community and further your ability to build professional contacts and grow your business. Active Birth Boot Camp DOULAS are listed on the website. Birth Boot Camp DOULAS are expected to continually be seeking professional development and will complete 10 continuing education hours each year.

Submit a short paragraph for each group detailing how they support the community and your clients and how to become involved. This will comprise three continuing education hours/year.

Read 2 books of your choice (making sure the topic is birth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, postpartum, or parenting) and submit a book review.. This will comprise 2 continuing education hours/year.

The remaining five continuing education hours may be comprised of Q&As, Evidence Based Birth Courses and approved workshops, events and classes pertaining to the scope of practice of doulas and other business or marketing skills pertaining to running a successful doula business.

Attend at least one birth that is or was an attempted natural birth ( i.e. not a elective cesarean or planned epidural).